Local implementation of scalable malaria molecular surveillance in a low-resource setting: a North-South...

Molecular surveillance of malaria vectors remains critically underutilized in sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to limited human capacity and technical resources, despite the region bearing the highest global burden of malaria. In a North-South collaborative effort, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) built capacity and improved on existing computational capabilities in line with molecular surveillance of Anopheles gambiae, the primary malaria vector in sub-Saharan Africa. We interrogated an amplicon panel capable of simultaneously detecting 55 Insecticide Resistance markers and 35 Ancestral Informative Markers, as well as polymorphisms in the doublesex gene-a key target for homing-based gene drives aimed at suppressing malaria vector populations. This represents a substantial advancement over conventional surveillance tools. The panel was tested and locally validated at UVRI with the lab colony and wild populations and a versatile data analysis pipeline for the panel was designed for raw data processing, analysis, and visualization. The tools and experience from this collaborative effort enhance molecular vector surveillance in the region and beyond, while also acting as a template for similar collaborations by other institutions.